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Walking tours Paris France – 2. Ile de St Louis

Walk from the Ile de la Cite (after visiting the famous Paris Notre Dame) to the adjacent island of Ile de St Louis via the Pont St Louis – what a contrast – on Ile de St Louis the pace of life changes, the tourist masses disappear, the elegant buildings line the streets, peace and quiet descends especially at the weekends, so just stroll around soaking up the atmosphere. It is surrounded by the River Seine and you can see excellent shots of the river on this website  www.travelguide.tv/paris/tours.

Have a glass of wine at one of the tiny cafes, visit some of the wonderful delicatessen shops, smell the fresh bread in the boulangeries, buy an icecream on Rue St Louis, explore some of the wine shops, indulge in a piece of true French cheese, and know you are in the heart of Paris.  This island is in the Paris River Seine, alongside the more famous island, Ile de la Cite, famous for the Notre Dame Cathedral, Palais de Justice, etc.  For more videos of Paris, www.travelguide.tv has a spelendid set of tourist videos.

On Ile de St Louis, you can visit the Museum of Adam Mickiewicz (the Polish poet who lived in Paris for many years).  The museum is open only on Thursdays from 2pm to 6pm and you can arrange a guided tour by contacting the Paris Museum in advance – telephone (1) 43 54 35 61.      

The church on the island, St Louis en l’Ile, dates from the 17th Century and look out for the great iron clock at the entrance.  The outside is a little unimpressive but inside it is glorious.  Inside you’ll see a statue of St Louis and he is holding a Crusader’s sword.  St Louis gave his name to St Louis in Missouri USA.  The church is Baroque in style and is richly decorated.  On occasions the church is closed to visitors – usually when the choir is practicing.  However, watch out for the concert programme – there are wonderful performances mainly in the summer months during the Festival Musique en l’Ile.

Another wonderful sight on this small island is the Hotel de Luzun.   It is on Quai d’Anjou but unfortunately unless part of a private tour you can’t see the interior.  One of its famous features though is the drainpipes – yes the pipes to guide the rain from the roof, etc and you can enjoy these as you stroll past – look out for the fish feature on some of them.

Once you have “done” the Ile de la Cite and Ile St Louis, the heart of Paris France, you are ready to visit the rest of Paris. Check out the Paris France Video website to see the attractions of Paris.   Here you can also use the interactive map of Paris, check the weather and immerse yourself in the wonders of this great city.

Ile de la Cite in Paris is a wonderful place to take a walking tour.  Only a tiny part of the city, it encapsulates much of what is magical about Paris.

Situated on Ile de la Cite is Notre Dame, one of the most famous landmarks in Paris.  There are some great shots of Notre Dame here in  http://www.travelguide.tv/paris.  And check out the other videos for Shopping, Paris Tours, Paris Attractions – there are nine tourist videos at www.travelguide.tv.

In many ways Ile de la Cite is the heart of Paris and was the original site of the city.  It is an oblong island right in the River Seine, surrounded by water, it is accessible by many bridges. It is linked to the other River Seine island, Ile de St Louis. The website TravelGuide.TV has Paris France videos on Tours, Museums, Attractions, Shopping and these will set up the atmosphere and magic of this great city.

Some 2000 years ago Ile de la Cite was inhabited by a number of Celtic tribes and it is from one of these tribes that the name of the city originated.  

The bridges linking the islands with the banks of the River Seine are in themselves evocative of Parisian themes, literature and the soul of the city – Pont Neuf, Point St Michel, Pont Notre Dame, Petit Pont, Pont D’Arcole and many more.

What to see on this walking tour of Paris?  Notre Dame Cathedral, Sainte Chapelle, Palais de Justice, the Paris Flower Market, The Archaeological Crypt, among many others.  Ile de la Cite is always bustling and crowded and you can marvel at the fleets of tourists walking along.

Apart from being the oldest part of Paris, Ile de la Cite is also the centre of the city – there is a small eight-point star set in the paving outside the front of Notre Dame de Paris.   That is the mark from which all distances from Paris are measured. 

Notre Dame in Paris is a chunky, immovable edifice with amazing flying buttresses and creepy gargoyles, it rises majestically beside the Seine.  It is almost a 1000 years since the church was started and it was finished around 1330.  During your visit, be sure to enjoy the deep colours of the West Rose Window (and there’s a South Rose Window), check out the three magnificent main entry doors and statues, notice the contrast between the blocky towers at the front and the graceful elegant Spire to the side, marvel at the High Altar and the main Art treasures.     

Notre Dame is where Henri IV was married in 1572, this is where Napoleon famously crowned himself in 1804, in 1944 there was a major ceremony of Thanksgiving to celebrate the Liberation of Paris from the Nazis, 

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The founders of Elytour Paris, Incoming Luxury Agency are explaining their philosophy for travel:

A : On my very first trip to Paris I fell in love with the irresistible charm of this magical city. Of course I had already seen numerous images of the city in books, but in reality the “city of lights” proved to be much more majestic, warm and mysterious than I ever could have imagined.

From that moment on, I was driven by a passion to discover the magical and undiscovered treasures that are so abundant in the capital of France, which lead me to create a catalogue of fabulous places and rare gems. Now I can share this collection with all those who, like me, believe that a voyage is first and foremost an encounter between our senses and emotions.

A : Our passion for France and its richness guided us in the discovery of this magnificent land. We walked through the City of Lights, met with designers, artisans and restaurateurs to discover and personally evaluate thousands of Parisian establishments for you. Thus was born our selection of urban excursions, unique or classic, of charm and gourmandise. We are pleased to present you with this catalogue of Parisian experiences that we discovered and selected just for you.

Discover our Collection of Private tours at: http://www.elytour-paris.com/uk/collection.php

Our Collection of Guided Tours : Paris La Belle

To begin this discovery tour, you will meet your tour guide at the hotel. After a river cruise, your guide will take you up the Eiffel Tower for a lunch in a restaurant with a panoramic view. This tour will be at your pace and planned to accommodate your schedule. It can be lengthed according to your wishes.

“Paris la Belle,” as Jacques Prévert nicknamed this luminous city, has always fascinated Parisians and foreigners alike.

Elytour invites you on a voyage of cultural and sensoral pleasure through the extraordinary history of France, as written by its kings and its citizens.

Discover the most beautiful monuments and museums of Paris: the Champs-Elysées, the Arc of Triumph, the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, Place de la Concorde, Rue de Rivoli, the Ile de la Cité, Saint-Germain, Saint-Michel, the Sorbonne university, Panthéon, Trocadéro, the Invalides with the tomb of Napoleon … next take one of the famous bateau-mouche along the Seine river and admire the magnificent bridges of Paris: Pont Neuf, the Pont Alexandre III, the bridge of l’Alma, the bridge of the arts …

“Paris la Belle” is a half-day panoramic visit, ideal for your first visit to the French capital. The tour can be complemented by a lunch or a museum visit, such as the Louvre, the Orsay Museum, or the Versailles Chateau. If you prefer walking tours, we can suggest a visit of one of the historic neighborhoods of Paris such as Montmartre, the Latin Quarter, Saint-Germain, the Marais …

France offers you an enormous choice of goods, but the quintessential French purchase is clothing, especially designer fashions. If you’re on a budget, window shop at the great fashion houses to get a feel of what you want. Then head for the markets and budget shops to do your actual shopping.

Check the internet for cheap hotels in France

Shopping In Paris

Paris is divided into quarters or arrondissements, each with its own shopping opportunities. Marais is the place for elegance, St-Germain for international fashion brands and Montmartre is dripping with romance.

Paris is of course home to the large French department stores, les grands magasins such as Galeries Lafayette and Printemps and you can spend whole days browsing them. But the sheer joy of shopping in Paris comes from visiting the galleries or passages, the 19th-century glass-roofed shopping arcades that just ooze charm and transform rainy days into shopping adventures.

Bear in mind that most stores in Paris close on Sundays which gives you the opportunity to explore one of the city’s many flea markets.

Check the internet for cheap Paris hotels.

Shopping In Bordeaux

Few people outside Europe realise what a shopper’s paradise Bordeaux truly is. There are some of the world’s most popular brand names on parade here: Cartier, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Mont Blanc, Christian Lacroix, Rolex and Tartine et Chocolat.

The pinnacle of shopping in Bordeaux is the Golden Triangle of the Allées de Tourny, the Cours de l’Intendance and the Cours Clemenceau. This triangle contains the Place des Grands-Hommes, home to the city’s most prestigious shops vending everything from foodstuffs the latest fashions.

You don’t have to shell out your last dollar on upscale designer shops, however. There are plenty of cheaper French chain stores here for you to choose from along with countless locally-owned boutiques where you can get something special at a reasonable price.

And of course don’t forget the wine. The whole Bordeaux region offer their local vintages for sale by the case and at very favorable prices.

Check the internet for cheap Bordeaux hotels.